Editor's Picks: The Fresh Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence

Fresh has been around for a while (since 1991 to be precise), but I only got to try the brand when it finally became available at Sephora Philippines last year. I swiftly fell in love with the its focus on naturally-derived active ingredients that are not just mere afterthoughts; I can see how clean and tight the formulations are. Fillers are used sparingly - the price tag reflects that - which means that you get exactly what is promised.

I am a huge fan of the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (pH 5, y'all! I can't bear to use facial washes with a pH higher than 6 now), the Umbrian Clay Purifying Mask (fixes my skin when it threatens to riot), the Rose Face Mask (lovely brightening and hydration), Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment, and the iconic Sugar Lip Polish. Recently, I got to try Fresh's latest product: the Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence (P4,127 at Sephora.ph).

This is a treatment product that features kombucha, which is fermented black tea known for its health benefits, as its main active. True enough "saccharomyces ferment filtrate" is second in the ingredients list after water! It also features green tea extract (a powerful antioxidant), kigelia africana fruit extract, hyaluronic acid, and Vitamin E as its other actives.

It is marketed as "anti-pollution skincare". I know it sounds like hogwash but pollution is a real threat to our skin; it can cause oxidative stress due to free radicals as well as increased chances of inflammation and pigmentation. How Fresh's new essence becomes anti-pollution is because of its use of tea in its main actives. Tea is a well-known antioxidant as it neutralizes free radicals in our environment, thus preventing further damage.

I love the light feel of the Black Tea Kombucha Essence as its quite watery and is absorbed by the skin quickly. This is excellent to use underneath any moisturizer as it won't add any texture or hydration! It is quite easy to integrate into any skincare routine both during the day and at night.

As for the results - after using it for a couple of weeks (mostly at night only because I have more time to layer skincare before I sleep) I have noticed more even-looking skin. I like to think of this as a preventive product though. It won't deliver visible overnight magic, but it should help my skin deal better with its environment. I play sports (tennis can be indoors, but rowing is especially dangerous as I'm out in the sun) so I definitely need something like this essence!

Overall, I recommend the Fresh Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence if you're looking to add a fermented, antioxidant product in your daily routine. What do you think? Do you take any anti-pollution steps in your beauty routine?